The ‘Humboldt Blend’ - California county could provide lessons for Ja in operating a regulated ganja industry

About halfway up the United States Pacific coast, in the northern end of California, Humboldt County, is an interesting mix of physical and sociocultural features.

The Pacific coastline blends with redwood forests and rugged mountain ranges; natural food outlets and microbreweries blend in with wineries and music festivals of various types, including the annual Reggae on the River festival in South Humboldt.

Also integral in that mix is ganja, and the county has a more than 50-year history as one of the major areas of ganja production in the state.

Like Jamaica, nearly all of that cultivation has been outdoor and, until recently, unregulated.

But with the approval of medical cannabis in 1996 in California and adult recreational use in 2016, the transition to a regulated framework in Humboldt is ongoing.

The approach taken by Humboldt County could provide many lessons for Jamaica.

Agricultural commissioner for Humboldt County Jeff Dolf said that the emphasis was on maximising grower engagement, and simplifying the process so as not to place an undue burden on the small farmers, while preserving the integrity of the Anchor product on which the county had built a very valuable and lucrative brand.

“We wanted to have a control solution that shifted priorities away from strict enforcement of federal cannabis laws, to the new laws of the state providing more leeway, while at the same time implementing strong and effective regulatory and enforcement systems to control cultivation distribution and possession,” said Dolf.

He said that the county administration was able to successfully do this in partnership with SICPA Product Security.

Track-and-trace solution

According to Dolf, SICPA’s track-and-trace solution proved adaptable to the peculiar conditions of Humboldt cannabis industry.

“SICPA’s approach to track and trace allowed us to safeguard the integrity of Humboldt County artisanal brand, and that, in turn, provides an incentive to the industry towards greater compliance,” said Dolf.

Terra Carver, executive director of the Humboldt County Growers Association, said there was a near decade-long story of advocacy, consultations and collaborations.

“The main virtue in this process was patience,” said Carver.

“We have sat through literally hundreds of consultations, public sessions, representations and other similar activities,” added Carver as she argued that the perseverance is now beginning to pay off.

“We’re at the stage now where we can focus more on the marketing and the direct preservation of our heritage and our brand, which is so important.”

According to Carver, the growers association extensively studied the Appellation origin control models developed by the wine industry and also that of the Jamaican coffee industry.

Carver says SICPA provided support and training to county staff as well as to pilot participants in the lead-up to the programme launch, helping to allay fears and concerns among the participants and to provide answers to questions that arose on all sides.

Among its initiatives were the development of quality codes, and a Proof of Origin website and app that allows medical marijuana patients and recreational consumers to learn more about the quality of the product, see safety test results, and allows for direct engagement with the growers of the cannabis that was sourced for the final product.

With Jamaica looking to employ the best available practice in respect of the still evolving regulatory scheme, Dolf argued that the ‘Humboldt Blend’ offers significant opportunities for the island as the Cannabis Licensing Authority seeks to strike the right balance between compliance and preserving the acknowledged cultural and commercial capital accrued to the industry.

“By working proactively with the growers and with SICPA’s support we have been able to not only facilitate a smoother transition into a regulated environment but we’ve enabled the small farmers to sustainably position themselves against newer larger agricultural operations in the county and the state and, most important, to protect the Humboldt brand,” said Dolf.

“As Jamaica, similarly diverse in topography and cultural influences as Humboldt, looks to progress in its own cannabis journey, the experience of Northern California should prove just as invaluable to the authorities as the Jamaican experience has been to the Humboldt growers,” added Dolf.